Days after retired Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez earned widespread condemnation for his controversial comments about Team India talisman Virat Kohli, another ex-cricketer from the country irked the cricketing fraternity by accusing the Rohit Sharma-led side of "cheating" in their last Cricket World Cup fixture against South Africa.
The latest allegations on the Indian cricket team came from Hasan Raza, the youngest player ever to feature in an international match, who opined that the home side's success in the prestigious tournament was due to the "different" balls their bowlers were getting during the World Cup games.
India is the only unbeaten team in the current edition of the Cricket World Cup, having won all their eight matches.
The former Pakistan batter also held that the Indians were manipulating the Decision Review System (DRS). The DRS is cricket's version of football's Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which assists the umpires in making the right calls by reviewing decisions taken on the field.
"Jadeja picked up five wickets and finished with career-best figures. We were talking about technology where DRS was being taken. Van de Dussen was the batter and the ball was hitting the middle stump after pitching on leg stump. How is that possible?" Raza asked on a Pakistani television channel.
"The impact was in line, but the ball was headed towards the leg stump. Like everyone else, I am just sharing my opinion. I am saying that such things should be checked. DRS is being manipulated and that is clearly visible," he added.
His choice of words did not go well, first with his former Pakistan teammate Wasim Akram and later with India's premier fast bowler, Mohammed Shami who described his statement as "shameful".
"Please have some shame. Focus on the game rather than talking rubbish. Enjoy and chill; this is the ICC Cricket World Cup, not a local tournament. Wasim Akram explained, but still, hahahaha. You do not trust your own Wasim Akram. This person is busy praising himself)," Shami wrote on social media.
Earlier, Akram noted that Raza was not only embarrassing himself but other Pakistani cricketers as well.
"I've been reading about this for the last two days. I want to have the same thing these guys are having, sounds like fun. Mind is not there. You are not only embarrassing yourself but us too," Akram said in his reaction to Raza's comments.